Darius Bazley Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Community Shootaround: Will Darius Bazley Create A Trend?

May 1st, 2018 at 5:44pm CST by clarkcrum

As we relayed back at the end of March, McDonald’s All-American Darius Bazley, projected to be a 2019 NBA lottery selection, will forgo his college eligibility and sign a G League contract when’s he eligible to do so this fall.

It’s been nearly 10 years since a player has entered the G League straight out of high school. In 2009, Latavious Williams entered the D-League at just 18 years of age, but as Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days writes, there were just 16 teams back then, of which a small few were even owned by NBA teams.

Next season, the G League is set to tip-off with a record 27 teams, most of which are owned and affiliated with an NBA franchise. Moreover, the league has been trending towards a youth movement for quite some time, with most G League teams filling their roster with undrafted rookies.

Given this infusion of youth, Johnson writes that Bazley’s decision is a watershed moment for the G League, opining that Bazley’s performance next season will determine whether or not other players choose to make a similar leap in future seasons.

Do you agree with Johnson? Do you believe that a successful stint in the G League by Bazley may encourage more high school stars to forgo college and enter the G League or will Bazley’s decision be an outlier regardless of how he handles next season? Could a poor performance hurt the G League’s reputation for developing players moving forward?

Please take to the comments section and let us know what you think.

Projected 2019 Lottery Pick Darius Bazley To Sign In G League

March 29th, 2018 at 3:38pm CST by Austin Kent

Projected 2019 lottery pick Darius Bazley has decommitted from Syracuse and will instead sign a G League contract when he’s eligible to do so next September, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports writes. The decision is unprecedented for a player of Bazley’s stature coming out of high school.

Since individuals are eligible to sign G League contracts one year sooner than they’re eligible to declare for the NBA Draft, the soon-to-be 18-year-old will be free to do so in September, months after finishing high school in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Those familiar with the 2019 NBA Draft landscape may already know that Bazley has established himself as an intriguing 6’9″ playmaker. The wing’s ball handling and ability to contribute defensively will make him a tantalizing prospect as he navigates the uncharted territory.

While highly regarded high school prospects have skipped the NCAA to play overseas prior to entering the NBA Draft previously, this is the first time a player as celebrated as Bazley, a 2018 McDonald’s All-American, will forego college for a year in the G League where player salaries are capped around $30K. In contrast, Emmanuel Mudiay signed a one-year deal in China worth $1.2MM following his final year of high school in 2014.

“I’m aware that this might start a trend and that’s one of the reasons why I am doing this,” Bazley told Yahoo Sports. “I’m outspoken and I like to speak on things. This is me speaking through my actions, speaking through my character. This is going to happen down the road and become more common. But someone has to start the fire — and I believe I’m going to do that, and it’s very important to me.“